I can't not record, with sadness, the passing of actress Raquel Welch, whose portrayal of sexy yet strong women was a big influence on my trans childhood. Being feminine yet respected is the transwoman ideal, I'd say.
Let's face it, nobody, not even Ursula Andress, could sport a bikini quite like Ms Welch, who accepted many opportunities to do so. I will never look as good as her in a bikini and I think so many other woman might say the same. Yet, it's not a question of jealousy (though I admit some regret) as she and the characters she portrayed were so often the sort of women that other women admire. She never did nude scenes and was, she says, not at all her screen persona in real life. Sounds good.
Thus passes another of my influential screen goddesses, like Gina Lolobrigida and Nichelle Nichols.
The swinging Sixties that made her can be chuckled at in lots of ways but the general opening-up of society to greater personal freedom was very beneficial to trans people. There's much work to be done still, but I think the genie isn't going back in the bottle again, at least not in the West.
Rest in peace.
Sue x
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